A view of fencing.net

[sreckiki]

Originally Posted by Gav

UK Fencing forum,
Schermaonline
The French one (can't remember what it's called)

I remember for you...

www.escrime-info.com

[akaiyuki]

My favorite is the armory section too. It's a great place to ask for advice when I'm getting new equipments. There are only so many people at my club, and only a part of them fences foil, and they all haven't had all that much experience with blades. But on here, I get suggestions from many experienced fencers, and I'm happy when my equipments that I've gotten through the advice of you all
Often times there's no right or wrong anyway. You can post a situation that they are having problems with and ask for advice. People of different experience levels would response with what they'd do, what they think would work. Sure, an olympian can reply and tell you his move. But maybe you don't have the ability to excecute it, or maybe the move is just not for you, and you actually find some "scrub"s advice to be more helpful.

[afc fencer]

Originally Posted by fencerontheline

What do you guys think???

Just look at the womens sabre video clip thread.

[ThatReallyHurt]

You don't have to have a million tournaments under your belt to be able to give useful advice... I've learned a lot on this board, and even more importantly, I've learned things that make me go to my coach and say "have you heard of...", "what is a...", "can I do..." - things like that.

There's no skill or ability in the world that you can do solely with theory alone. There's a huge amount of experience on this forum, both from people who have been fencing for decades and those who have just started. It makes it a lot easier for someone to come out and ask about a particular problem, discuss a strategy or positive/negative experience.

[noodle]

Originally Posted by fencerontheline

What do you guys think???

this page is full of things where someone who isn't that good is telling olympians that they're fencing incorrectly.

(i couldn't resist)

[noodle]

in all honesty, yes, its true. its happened a lot. happened to me plenty of times (not that i'm an olympic quality fencer or anything, though). thats the internet, though. the great equalizer. to prevent the spread of blatant misinformation and to help promote the sport, the people who *are* good should be the ones who should spend some time here helping to correct misconceptions, not to come and learn. the site has helped some new people who are willing to learn. an objective viewer will look at an argument between some adamant scrubs and an olympian and know who's probably in the right. the important thing is that the olympian is there to show the objective viewer which side is the right one. it'd be different if it were a bunch of amateurs bickering. who knows who to trust then, eh?

[Welted 24/7]

I only have two comments. One, if this person isn't helping or trying to correct when "misinformation" is given, then they don't have any grounds to whine about it. And two, anybody who uses the word "scrub" seriously probably has an ego that's inversely proportionate to their ability.

[neevel]

Originally Posted by fencerontheline

What do you guys think???

This is the internet-- it's the nature of the beast, and it's hardly unique to fencing. In the sciences, for example, most serious online discussion amongst researchers takes place on private mailing lists and forums, because on any Usenet group or public forum you'll inevitably have to deal with roving packs of creationists, perpetual-motion machine inventors, and UFO conspiracy theorists.

[fencerontheline]

http://www.fencing101.com/vb/showthr...3&page=1&pp=30


There are people calling Sada sluggish and Ward clumsy and alkward... and yet- those two fencers are the cream of the world's crop.

Those who don't really understand fencing shouldn't insult an olympic medalist's fencing.

I know this seems awefully insulting, but the top fencers have earned their place where they are, and the people that haven't reached such heights, should give these fencers that have the respect they've earned.

[mrbiggs]

Originally Posted by fencerontheline

http://www.fencing101.com/vb/showthr...3&page=1&pp=30

An olympic-level expert being shot down by a horde of scrubs? Don't see it. Sure, there was a somewhat meaningless discussion on yelling, but I don't think that's the problem you're talking about. Any commentary on the bout was preceded by "in my opinion" and other such phrases. Where is the blantantly wrong information you're talking about?

I don't really know anything about sabre, so it's quite possible I'm missing something. But if there is the blatantly wrong information there, do us a favor, and point it out. If you know more than us, PLEASE give us the good information, so we can learn something. Which is what I, at least, came on this board to do.

[Welted 24/7]

Any commentary on the bout was preceded by "in my opinion" and other such phrases.

Not to mention, more than one "I'm not a sabre fencer, but..." That's not "evidence", that's people who admit they aren't experts on the subject making comments. Now, if we were talking remarks like "I'm not a sabre fencer but you don't need to be to know that's bad footwork", THEN maybe there'd be a case here.

[broncofencer]

there is always the ideas that generate strictly from this board. A "scrub" may give a training idea/observation that the olympian doesn't agree with or use but is still a valid idea/observation. If you want proof look at the thread regarding training for summer nationals everyone is doing something different at least a little bit.

I am a firm believer that all information is useful someone might suggest something that everyone says is a bad idea but it works for them and I may try it at practice and discover it works for me. I may not make a drastic switch to it but I put it into my bag of tricks to use when my normal routines begin to fail or I am not fencing well.

[Gav]

Oh for gods sake ...


No one allowed to have an opinion unless they are part of the beatified... sorry olympic elite?

Guys, don't feed the trolls...

[fencerontheline]

Originally Posted by Gav

Oh for gods sake ...


No one allowed to have an opinion unless they are part of the beatified... sorry olympic elite?

Guys, don't feed the trolls...

Gav,
Before you go and get your kilt all twisted, I think you and everyone here should realize the point I'm trying to get across. I'm not trolling, but I may be guilty of preaching...

Very few people on this website have respect for these high calibur athletes. In fact, it seems like many people resent these 'elite competitors'. It seems as if the people of fencing.net seem to care more about reputation points than they do about national points...


I'm friends with a couple world class fencers, and I know what they've gone through to get where they are. Regardless of what I think of their characters, I have a great deal of respect for their abilities as a fencer, each and every one of them. When I see uneducated opinions formed and displayed about the best among us, insulting them, and insulting their work, it pains me. Its hurtful to these athlete who are the products of their hard work, and its damaging to elite fencing in the us, and the rest of the world.

[Gav]

Well why didn't you put it that way? By posting [or preaching] in this manner you appear trollish. I am sympathetic to what you have to say, I am also acquainted with a few world class fencers and I fully understand what they are going through; have gone through; to get to their position. I still don't see why this should somehow protect them from comment. If you love a sport you are going to watch it and you are going to comment. Why should Fencers be different from a bunch of people commenting on Tennis, football, Cricket, Synchronised Swimming or any other sport? If you participate in a forum, such as this, you can set your views down. If you are passionate about your sport then you are going to note your views on the images of the sport you have seen. Commentary is a fact of life; more so for those at the top. On that quoted thread there are people making crass comments with others countering - why is this bad? In fact I think it's not a bad discussion as there are much better examples you could have trotted out. Compare the quality of dicussion here with that of Fencingsucks. If you want to see Olympians being shot down by a horde of scrubs then that is the place. I get the impression that some people are slightly over sensitive.

At the end of the day does it really matter? And spend some time going through the forums of other sports, the commentary here is no different to theirs and no it shouldn't.

And don't insult my country; I find that highly offensive.

[Craig]

Originally Posted by Gav

At the end of the day does it really matter? And spend some time going through the forums of other sports, the commentary here is no different to theirs and no it shouldn't.

I highly respect everything that these athletes are doing. They are performing at a level that I never achieved, and probably would not even if I had devoted the same number of hours, etc. for training and competition.

I love the sport of fencing and love watching it at its highest level.

And, just like when I'm watching college basketball, I'll make observations and comments that the athletes themselves may not like. On other boards discussing college basketball, I'll comment on the lack of intensity or other gaps in the abilities of certain players and teams.

It's part of what sports fans do. (See the comments I overlaid on the Joppich 2005 foil world cup clip. I'm sure he'd clock me if he met me and really cared about the commentary.)

Part of being an elite athlete is being in the public eye. When you are in the public eye, you are going to get a lot of people that "rah rah" you on. (See any number of articles written on this site about our fencers coming up to the Games.) You are also going to get almost the same number of people that will act as armchair quarterbacks/coaches.

The thing that Fencing.Net does is provide some more exposure for the sport when video clips are posted, and also provides an outlet for the sports fan in us to comment. All in all, it's a good thing because people curious about the sport can see what it's all about.

Don't like some of the "negative" commentary? The solution is simple, provide commentary of your own. On that same thread (WS video clip), you had some fencers come in and post some very good commentary on the bout and what was going on.

Keep posting more content like that and you'll be helping to shape Fencing.Net into what you would like it to be.

[Christopher J Umbs]

Originally Posted by Gav

Compare the quality of dicussion here with that of Fencingsucks.

I have and they're getting closer to each other...

[veeco]

Originally Posted by Christopher J Umbs

I have and they're getting closer to each other...

I can't remember the last time I saw a discussion like this one on fencingsucks.

But that's your opinion.

[Christopher J Umbs]

Great thread, but I was refering more to the pointless insults and the like. At any rate, FS is dead as a doornail.

[Craig]

Originally Posted by Christopher J Umbs

Great thread, but I was refering more to the pointless insults and the like. At any rate, FS is dead as a doornail.

A community is what the community makes of it. Only so much direction can be given from the "top"/admin.